Ioreth's Letter Box
by ElvishKiwis Venerated Ancestor
Summary: Letters sent between Ioreth of Minis Tirith and her sisters. A chance to explore the lives and complexities of living in the shadow of Mordor through the eyes of one of Tolkein's most lovable minor characters.
1. Chapter 1

**Warning: This story is about a very minor character in the chapter called "The houses of Healing" in **_**Return of the King,**_** so unless you remember her distinctly this story may seem like a whole lot of waffle. It would be a good idea to use Tolkien's marvellous index system to re-read the short passages concerning her before reading this story. It will only take you 3-5 minutes and will make all I have written seem so much more believable.**

**Ficathon entry on the ACA Assembly of Christian Authors Forum **

**For Mockingbryd's Tune by Eva:**  
>Story Request 2: write a story completely through correspondence or journal.<p>

Dear Byrdy,

I hope you have as much fun reading this as I did writing it! I don't know how long this is going to take but I do have a plot plan so I know they will not go on indefinitely. Updates will be slow I am afraid, but by the end, I hope you learn to love Ioreth of Minis Tirith as I do. - EVA

**Disclaimer: Professor Tolkien owns Ioreth, whom I have long believed was one of his best characters. He also owns the setting and the Warden and Herb master in the houses of healing. I have taken the liberty of giving the latter two names and fleshing out their characters a little. All other characters mentioned in this chapter are figments of my own imagination, but I hope he would not disapprove of them...**

**See author notes below for a brief cast summary of the original characters.**

Celandine Cottage

136 Street of the Healers

Sixth circle, Minis Tirith,

Gondor.

The 12th of October TA 3017

My dear sister Gleoseth,

The most dreadful thing has happened! I am in a terrible fluster!

I saw the flames while I was gathering herbs this afternoon for Mornir, the herb master. He had instructed me to collect Yalluc and you know very well that it grows very lushly on the banks of the Miluser because of that time, you recall don't you dear Gleo, when Castimir and yourself visited me following my sweet Pelegir's wake (may Mandos have pity on him), and Castmir thought he had broken his ankle as we walked on the Ecthelion track. It was only sprained of course, as I was able to discern because of the regular swelling and the fact that he still had movement. On that occasion I perceived that we were but a small distance from the Miluser, and sent you to find the herb for me, which was quite providential, don't you think?

Ah now where was I... Oh yes the fire! It was a frightfully shocking sight, you cannot imagine how my poor heart was thumping. I stood there for a full 3 minutes with my mouth hanging open before it occurred to me to run and raise the alarm. My, what speed I did! I had no thought for my stockings which were being torn to threads on the brambles, and I was half way back to the city before I recalled I had left the herbs and my best sisoures in the basket by the river. After a moment's consideration I decided not to go back for them, which was a great sacrifice I assure you sister, as the basket was our mothers berry basket and the sisoures were a pair my dear Berelor bought me on his last merchant trip to Umbar before their alliance with Mordor made it too dangerous to trade with them, nigh on 55 years ago. They may be rogues, but they do know how to forge a keen blade... I suppose that is not such a good thing as they are rumoured to be preparing to join armies with the nameless one nowadays...

Oh well, there is no use worrying about eventualities which may never come to pass.

Now what was it I was telling you about? Oh the fire! Yes, so I decided to give up our mother's basket and my precious blades, to the Orcs or Wildmen or whoever it was who had done such a terrible thing. Not for a moment did I suspect that it might have been an accidental fire my dear Gleo! Oh, no! I was certain the entire host of Mordor was on my tail! So I ran with all my might back to the west gate and gasped out my news to the guards there, and I was so overcome with wheeziness and blood pressure that I almost fainted in the young handsome one's arms, which would have been somewhat unseemly you perceive, but he very gallantly noticed my distress and offered me his arm to a nearby barrel where I sat and recovered my senses enough to be understood.

The problem was I had got so flustered and confused telling them about how the orcs were sure to take my mother's berry basket and the blade and use it on us all in our sleep, that I momentarily forgot to mention the fire. By the time I finished reporting what I had seen, a whole squadron of soldiers had arrived summoned by the other guard who had slipped away after I mentioned the orcs.

Daglond, the handsome guard who had been so kind to me... Did I mention that he gave me water drink from his skein? I was breathing so hard I had dried my throat something terrible and assured him I couldn't say another word until I had had a nice cup of tea. Of course he didn't have one about him, but very kindly offered his own water instead! Such chivalry from one so young! And he stood there so nicely smiling at me while I refreshed myself and even offered a cloth on which to wipe my mouth, although, of course I never go anywhere without my handkerchief, so I declined his offer.

As I was saying Daglond, I asked his name after he gave me the water, in order to thank him properly you understand, Daglond informed the soldiers that there was need of fire fighting equipment, for the first fellow, whom I afterward learned was called Iorlas, had left to summon help before I had recollected the fire.

So then, over half the men were obliged to return to their homes and fetch pails and barrels of water and all sorts of shovels and blankets... I was quite amazed at how much equipment it took Gleoseth! In fact when they returned 30 minutes later they had a heavily laden cart as well as twice the number of men, and as they rushed through the gate they told Daglond and Iorlas that there were more coming including healers and not to delay them with questions.

That was when, my dear Gleo, that I perceived that the fire may have endangered lives, which overcame me with misgivings, so I hitched up my skirts and ran after them hoping to catch a ride on the wagon, but of course I was too slow and the vigour which had driven me in my headlong flight in the beginning had left my poor tired bones groaning with such an ache that I could hardly go 50 paces before I had to stop and rest awhile.

When I finally arrived back at the stream, what do you imagine I saw? Yes my dear Gleo, mother's basket and my precious sisoures were just where I had left them! But the trees further up the hill were all scorched and smoking and it seemed to me that the whole mountain was on fire!

The empty wagon was wedged behind by a tree stump on one side and a couple of river stones on the other and I considered climbing into it for a wee doze. I am not as young as I used to be dear sister, and waves of weariness were giving me the head ache, but I thought of those poor fellows up the hill from me, risking their lives to save the forest and who knows who might have been trapped by the fire, and could not abandon them. I quickly topped up the supply of Yalluc which I had collected this morning and added some witch hazel which was also growing nearby. Yalluc is also good for the initial treatment of burns you see. I refilled the old jar of water which I use to keep the herbs fresh, they are so much more useful if you can you know, although dried ones work too, so long as they are dried rapidly on the morning following a full moon...

Thus equipped, I trudged determinedly up the hill with no thought at all to my shredded skirt and stockings, and my new flannel petticoat which was getting covered in ash and grime from the fire. My walking shoes were also getting terribly begrimed, and I was pleased that I had your Turgon bring replacements for me last time he was in Minis Tirith on an errand from the Prince of Dol Amroth, because the heat from the ground was rather frightening and if I had been wearing my old ones I am sure my toes would have been scorched. That cobbler in Dol Amroth is far superior to the one here in the city you know. Dorian should get him to make shoes for the children. They would last for at least half a dozen of them before they wore out.

Oh how my mind wanders sometimes! Do you think I may have a touch of dementia, Gleoseth? I am terribly afraid of senility you know. It does not afflict many of us here, as our diet is so richly supplemented with nuts and seeds from the forest, but I have seen its effects on a few from the low lands where their diet is less balanced.

Now I expect you'll be wanting to hear what I found when I reached the men, and here I am prattling on about diets and such like. There were several of them who had rather painful burns I was able to treat with a poultice made from thei herbs. One poor fellow had been in the way of an old hollow chestnut which toppled over and crushed him for 25 minutes before they were able to free him. He had a dislocated shoulder, broken ribs, and his eyes were bulging almost out of his head! Terribly bloodshot they were. I expect he will have a frightful headache for the next few days. I was able to make him a sling and the Yalluch (sometimes called knitbone in the vernacular), will certainly help his ribs to heal. I assisted him to get back to the wagon where we met the other healers and the fire fighting recruits. One of the soldiers, who helped me get the wounded man down the hill, persuaded me to return with him to the city, and although I protested at first, I was actually quite relieved when he insisted. Now that the others had arrived I felt that I could rest at last.

By the time we got to the houses of healing I could barely push myself up the path to my wee cottage before I collapsed with exhaustion into the first chair I encountered within, which you probably recall, Gleo darling, was my Berelor's favourite armchair, you know, the one with the huge carved armrests and tapestry upholstery. I sat there for a full 10 minutes feeling guilty about breaking my rule of keeping it for his memory, when the silliest feeling came into my head, that he was sitting beneath me and cradling me in his arms, just as he used to do when I was a young bride. And I just wept and wept as if he had just died yesterday. Wasn't that strange, now?

I would not want that Cirion to know about that. He already disapproves of how attached I get to our patients in the houses of healing. There are not many of my fellow healers I dislike, Gleo, but since he became Warden, I am finding him most obnoxious.

I must go to bed, I am weary and my lamp oil is low.

Your sister

Ioreth

I didn't until about 6 months ago but Fay posted something on Billi's profile about being jealous that her and Seraph were getting together, and that alerted me. I did some serious stalking and saw that you were her sister so I figured it out. and then when I asked Seraph if I was right he couldn't tell a lie...*winks and grins mischievously*

**Author Notes: **

Gleoseth is Ioreth's older sister; married to Castimir. Turgon is one of her three sons by a previous marriage, and Dorian is her only daughter (Born to Castimir), who is expecting her tenth child.

Ioreth's husband, Berelor, died nine years ago from wounds received in battle, and her only child Pelegir, was killed in the battle to regain Osgiliath just under three years before this letter.

**Yalluc **is the ancient Saxon name for Comfrey -often used to treat bones, sprains and many other ailments. It also assists healing and prevents scarring on damaged skin tissue. Witch hazel is a pain killer and reduces the swelling associated with burns.

I suspect that I will have to include a lot of herb lore in this story. I am indebted to Mrs M. Grieve who wrote "A Modern Herbal" for my medicinal plant info.

For any who are interested, Ioreth's "Celandine cottage" is named for a pretty early spring flowering herb which clings to hedges and walls. It was a very valuable medicinal herb in the middle ages and is known to cure cateracts and eye infections; added to aniseed, it can cause the passing of gall and kidney stones and the juice from the stems can be used to treat warts ringworm and corns. It can be made into treatments for tooth ache, piles and even cancer.

**Sisoures** was the 14th century name for scissors or small shears.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Notes:**** dear me I certainly was a bit hasty (as Treebeard would say), in putting up my first letter without doing a final proof read. I hope this one is a bit better. **

**Gleo lives with Castimir her husband in a separate dwelling behind their son-in-law's house and smithy (Gwainir married to Dorian). I spent over an hour trying to find a small medieval dwelling other than a cottage and all I could find was a hovel. Gleoseth is a most meticulously clean housekeeper and I am sure she would be deeply offended at that term so I had to stick to cottage. If anyone can suggest a more suitable dwelling then I would be most obliged.**

* * *

><p>The Cottage behind the Smithy,<p>

Imloth Melui,

Gondor.

The 2nd of September TA 3017

Dear Ioreth,

I told you that your garrulous habits would get you in trouble one day! What a silly foolish woman you are. That beautiful forest will take years to recover and it is all your fault!

No, I don't think you are suffering from Dementia at all, you have been this scatterbrained from the moment you learned to string words together into sentences, and probably earlier than that. We were just blissfully ignorant of the fact.

When I think of those trees I feel like weeping.

Your unfortunate sister,

Gleoseth

PS I have had time to reflect on the above and I was too harsh. Please forgive me. I allowed my distress over the trees to blind me to your feelings. You didn't light the fire and I know you cannot help being so...

Oh never mind. I will write again soon.

* * *

><p>The Cottage behind the Smithy,<p>

Imloth Melui,

Gondor.

The 3rd of September TA 3017

Dearest Ioreth,

I am very sorry for my insensitivity when I wrote yesterday. I considered ripping it up but I honestly think it might do you good to understand my distress at your news. You are very dear to me. You know that. When I think of the conviction you had that your idle speculations had endangered lives, I know that there was no need for further rebuke from me.

I am deeply grieved by the loss of the forest, but it is by no means sure that it could have been saved even if the fire fighters had got there sooner. I am very glad you were there, my dear, to bring relief to those brave men. Since you did not mention any deaths I am assuming that no lives were forfeit. Did you ever discover who the evil brutes were who begun such carnage? May vengeance be swift on their black hearts!

You mentioned in your letter, the cobbler that Turgon took your shoes to in Dol Amroth. We already knew of him and Dorian has been a faithful customer of his for nigh on twelve years. You forget my dear sister that we have many more friends and relatives in that city than yourself.

I hope that you have recovered your usual spirits and that your work continues to give you satisfaction and keep you out of further trouble. At least the infirm do not usually complain of being kept from their duties by your chatter.

Yours with love

Gleoseth

PS It will take an age to restore that forest to it's former glory, but no doubt there will be good harvestable nut trees in three score or so given the right care.

What a shame!


End file.
